Notre Dame College Receives National Recognition for Vocational Initiatives

Notre Dame College has been recognized among the top colleges in the country for its on- and off-campus initiatives to enhance vocational discernment in liberal arts education.

With the success of its "Preparing Students for a Life of Value and Service" Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) program, the College was selected one of three panelists for a session on “Forming Compassionate Graduates through Connected Communities” at the Council of Independent College (CIC) 2017 national NetVUE Conference: Renewing the Theological Exploration of Vocation.

Notre Dame, the one higher education institution in the United States founded in the tradition of the Sisters of Notre Dame, presented details of its programs that “help undergraduates develop values and visions about the range of human communities that need them and experiences that encourage undergraduates to become compassionate servant leaders,” according to the CIC.

Representing the College and its vocational discernment programs were Tracey T. Meilander, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, program director of Choose Ohio First STEMM@NDC and co-director of community based learning at the College, and Anita H. Yoder, Notre Dame’s Office of Campus Ministry coordinator.

During the presentation, Meilander and Yoder also discussed how Notre Dame is developing supporting faculty and staff members, assessing the effectiveness of its vocational discernment experiences and creating structures that sustain efforts over time.

The College’s initiatives rooted in the theological exploration of vocation range from student living-learning communities in STEMM and Arts & Leadership and a Professional Learning Community for faculty and staff to weekly campus “Ted Talks” on vocational discernment led by Ted Steiner, Notre Dame’s director of campus ministry, and a Semester of Service unified, campus-wide program that integrates academic and co-curricular service activities.

Through its Office of Campus Ministry, Notre Dame also provides regular service opportunities to students at an assisted living facility, an after-school church program for children, a local library tutoring in math, reading and science and nearby food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

In addition, undergraduates at the College serve as chaperones for high school student volunteers visiting Cleveland from Sisters of Notre Dame elementary and secondary institutions nationwide. During this one-week experience, all students in attendance learn about the charism and work of the Sisters of Notre Dame through volunteering and fellowship. All chaperones receive training in Virtus child abuse training through the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.

Notre Dame was one of about 30 schools selected to present at the national CIC conference March 23-25 in Charlotte, South Carolina.

Since the launch of the NetVUE grant initiative in 2009, membership has increased to more than 200 colleges and universities with a “desire to address the theological and intellectual exploration of vocation, both in the classroom and in student life,” according to the CIC.

The CIC’s NetVUE program is rooted in Lilly Endowment’s Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV), which supported major initiatives on 88 college and university campuses between 1999 and 2009. As Lilly’s direct support of PTEV concluded, the CIC, with support from Lilly, extended the initiative.

3 April 2017

About Notre Dame College

For almost a century, Notre Dame College has educated a diverse population in the liberal arts for personal, professional and global responsibility. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College has grown strategically to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of students and the dramatic changes in higher education. But it has never lost sight of its emphasis on teaching students not only how to make a good living but also how to live a good life.

Today, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master's degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. Notre Dame College offers 23 NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women and is located in a picturesque residential neighborhood just 25 minutes from the heart of Cleveland. Hallmarks of the Notre Dame experience include stimulating academics, personalized attention of dedicated faculty and staff, and small class sizes.

Notre Dame College is located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid. For further information contact Brian Johnston, chief communications officer, at 216.373.5252 or bjohnston@ndc.edu.